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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 vs Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 3 + 0 road tests and 28 + 28 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Alpin 4 is ahead, 79–70

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Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Alpin 4

Winter

± 7

Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 89 · 28 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 77

    Dry

    Pilot Alpin 4 +12
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests67≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online9264

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 67.3 + 40% × 92 = 77

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 65

    No road tests of dry for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 84

    Wet

    Pilot Alpin 4 +10
    74
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests78≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online9476

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 78.4 + 40% × 93.6 = 84

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 73.6 (est.) + 40% × 75.8 = 74

    No road tests of wet for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 77

    Snow

    Pilot Alpin 4 +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests72≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online8376

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 83 = 77

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 72.8 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 74

    No road tests of snow for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 82

    Comfort

    Pilot Alpin 4 +15
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8866

    Pilot Alpin 4: 40% × 72.7 (est.) + 60% × 88.3 = 82

    WinterCraft WP72: 40% × 68.5 (est.) + 60% × 65.6 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 61

    Noise

    WinterCraft WP72 +5
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests57≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)65

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 56.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 61

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 66

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Alpin 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

    No road tests of noise for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Pilot Alpin 4 +10
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8973

    Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 88.9 = 80

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 92

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Alpin 4 +26
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online9266
  8. 66

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests66–
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Alpin 4Kumho WinterCraft WP72
Relative Score 79 70
Dry 77 65
Wet 84 74
Snow 77 74
Comfort 82 67
Noise 61 66
Treadwear 80 70
Handling (owners) 92 66
Efficiency 66 –

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Pilot Alpin 4

± 7

WinterCraft WP72

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Alpin 4WinterCraft WP72ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/11 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test #2/2 2025 AutoView Winter Tire Test R19 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Pilot Alpin 4

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling in snow and ice
  • Sporty, responsive handling on dry and wet pavement
  • High level of comfort and low road noise for a winter tire

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
  • Above-average noise level reported by a few users due to the aggressive tread pattern
  • Slight initial tread squirm when brand new before settling in
All owner themes in the Pilot Alpin 4 review

Tire B WinterCraft WP72

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in snow, slush, and deep snow conditions
  • Great value and budget-friendly pricing compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Surprisingly low noise levels and high comfort for a winter tire

Cons

  • Some users reported vague high-speed handling or a 'jelly' sidewall feel at speeds over 50-60 mph
  • A few mentions of increased noise compared to standard all-season tires
  • Potential for flat-spotting due to nylon cord construction, making balancing difficult for some
All owner themes in the WinterCraft WP72 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—25
Rim diameters—18″ – 21″
Tread depth—11/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4

Kumho WinterCraft WP72

Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — better handling, comfort and dry. Pick the Kumho WinterCraft WP72 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 92 vs 66 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 82 vs 67 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 77 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 84 vs 74 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
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Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
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Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 84 vs 74 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 74 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72?

Kumho WinterCraft WP72, 66 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 82 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Alpin 4 or WinterCraft WP72?

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 80 vs 70 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology